Window Cleaning Tips 101

Wood Window Frames

If painted, use a solution of mild detergent and water, or a mild commercial cleaner whose label says it is safe for painted surfaces. Always rinse off solution. Wipe off excess water with a dry cloth. Do not use strong cleaners or scouring powder as these will damage the paint. If you plan to clean window frames, do it before cleaning window glass so solution does not spot glass panes. If varnished or natural finished, vacuum or dust regularly. Clean infrequently, only when really needed. Use a commercial wood cleaning product or cleaning wax whose label recommends use on natural wood finishes.

Aluminum Window Frames

If painted, use a solution of mild detergent and water, or a mild commercial cleaner whose label says it is safe for painted surfaces. Always rinse off the cleaning solution. Wipe off excess water with a dry cloth. Do not use strong cleaners or scouring powder as these can damage the paint. If you plan to clean window frames, do it before cleaning window glass so solution does not spot glass panes.

Bare, unfinished or mill finish aluminum gradually weathers and turns gray. It forms its own oxide coating which protects it. (A coat of clear lacquer will prevent this.) In early stages of weathering, washing with soap and water will restore brightness. If you want to restore brightness when it has weathered more, stronger cleaners or mild abrasives will be needed. Test any new cleaner on a hidden spot to be sure it will work satisfactorily.

Do not clean aluminum if it is hot to touch, or if temperature is below 50 F. Always remove all traces of cleaner thoroughly, with water-rinsing, or, if a solvent wax type by wiping. Avoid excessive use of abrasives which leaves permanent scratches. Badly weathered window frames may be washed with soap and water, rinsed thoroughly, and painted.

Clear or colored anodized aluminum resists weathering, and can be washed with mild detergent and water like painted frames. Solvent cleaners can be used to remove grease spots from anodized frames. Never use abrasives on either anodized or painted surfaces as they will scratch it.

10 Window Cleaning Tips

Here is how to achieve it!

Use the Right Tools

You must use the professional squeegees, soap and applicators I have already spoken of. If you don’t, your windows will look like they do now!

A Clean Scrubber

Always start the job with a clean scrubber or lambs wool applicator, sponge and/or porcupine cleaner. A dirty applicator can leave dirt behind. Rinse the scrubber frequently if you are cleaning many windows, especially dirty windows.

Watch the Sun

NEVER wash windows in direct sunlight. The sun can superheat the glass and cause all sorts of streaking problems.

Holding the Squeegee

Hold the squeegee at an angle so the water runs down the glass. In other words, mimic the motion or setting of a snow plow. The blade on a plow aims towards where the snow ends up. If a plow simply aims straight ahead, snow flows out of the plow at both ends. You don’t want water flowing from both ends of the squeegee.

Wipe the Blade

After each squeegee stroke, you must wipe the rubber blade with your lint free cloth. Placing a wet squeegee on the glass will leave a blade mark. You will get good at quickly wiping the blade.

Don’t Cut it Close

Overlap squeegee strokes by about one and one half inches. Remember to angle the squeegee so water flows towards the wet window surface, NOT the area that is clean and dry.

Lots of Water

When first washing the window with the scrubber, use a liberal amount of cleaning water. You want the dirt to come off the window with this solution. Use a decent amount on interior glass surfaces, but not so much as to cause a flood or standing water on woodwork.

Go Sideways

Horizontal squeegee strokes are recommended when at all possible. If you are right handed, the left side of the window pane will have triangles of water left behind with each stroke. You will wipe these at the end with a final vertical stroke going from the top of the pane to the bottom of the pane.

Wipe the Edges

There will always be water marks or spots at the edge of the window pane. After all squeegee action is complete, wipe the entire window edge with the lint free cloth.

Practice First

Practice with the squeegee when you first get it. It may be hard to control. Professionals often use an 18 inch model. You might want to start with a 12 inch squeegee and work your way up to a larger model once you develop good hand/eye coordination.

How To Wash Windows

To wash your windows perfectly and make them streak-free, it’s really not about the glass cleaner. It’s about the tools you use. The best way is to clean the outside windows first. It’s usually a bigger job, and you might decide you want to do the inside windows the next day. Besides, there’s nothing worse than cleaning your inside windows and not knowing if they are actually clean because the other side is dirty!

Screens
If you have a lot of windows, it is easiest to remove all of your screens from the inside. Take a pencil and write in tiny letters on the frame where it belongs as you remove them. Example: MBR – L (Master Bedroom, left window) or something that will make sense to you later. To clean your screens, you will need:

•A bucket of soapy water – dish soap is fine

•A SOFT bristle brush

•Access to a garden hose

Begin by using the hose on a soft setting

Don’t use a strong “jet” setting that will damage your screens. Slop some of the soapy water onto the screen if necessary (if there are dead bugs, grit on the frame, spider webs), and gently use the soft brush to get off the mess.

While you’re cleaning your screens, look for tears or holes. Don’t put a screen back that is damaged. Keep it aside for the next weekend project. Repairing or replacing screening within a frame is simple and takes about a half an hour! Rinse off the screens and place them somewhere to air dry.

Outside Windows

While the screens are off, tackle the outside windows. Start with a DRY broom and sweep any spider webs, dirt, and bugs off the windows and the frames. (Note: for upstairs windows, I cheat by taking another broom or mop and duct-taping it to my broom. I can reach the windows that way standing on a step stool.) If you have a lot of caked on gunk, you should make another bucket of soapy water and dip the broom in, slosh up some water and give the window and/or frame a scrub. If the windows just need cleaning, use one of the methods for window cleaning below. If you have a two story home, you can try a commercial glass cleaning product that attaches to your garden hose to spray the windows clean.

If your outside windows are difficult to reach from the outside, you can clean them from the inside. If you have two windows next to each other, it’s easier. Open the windows all of the way to get the top of the outside window. If you have two windows together, you can get the bottom of one from the other side. If it’s a single window, you will have to close the window as much as you can while still being able to reach your hand under to clean the top of the bottom window. Voila! No ladders (or waiting for help!) and the outside windows are clean!

Cleaning Your Windows Perfectly
To clean windows, most people either use a squeegee or a cloth. If you have the right tools, what you actually use to clean the windows really doesn’t matter very much. In fact, you can clean windows with plain water wiped off with newspaper! If you use this method, you’ll want to wear gloves or your hands will be filthy, but it works very well.